Our Story

Alvis is a nonprofit human services agency with 50 years of experience providing highly effective treatment programs. Our lines of service include research-based, comprehensive reentry and family support programs; behavioral health and substance abuse treatment services; recovery housing for women and their children; and services to individuals with developmental disabilities who are trying to live more independently in the community.

Our mission is to innovate and deliver evidence-based human service programs that empower those we serve to build successful, productive lives.

Alvis serves nearly 8,000 men, women, young adults and children in Ohio each year. Our programs indirectly impact tens of thousands more. We work to keep families together and make communities safer.

Our vision is of a future when communities believe that a person's potential is more important than their past.

180 Degree Impact.

What does that mean? Well, at Alvis, we give people the inspiration, the encouragement and the tools they need to turn their lives around 180 degrees. Because every treatment program, service and support system we provide has the same objective: To effect fundamental change – in individuals, in families and in entire communities.

That's Alvis. That's 180 Degree Impact.

Did you know?

One in 25 Ohioans is under some form of correctional supervision. More than 96% of those in prison will be released and return to communities throughout the state.

Opiate overdoses are now the leading cause of death for Americans under age 50.

One in every 28 children has a parent in jail or prison. These children are five times more likely to be expelled from school than other children and they are also more likely to become involved in the criminal justice system.

These statistics reveal a dire situation. To turn it around, Alvis provides a range of needs-based services and programs that have been proven to change lives.

What we do here costs less and accomplishes more.

It costs more than $22,000 each year to keep an offender in prison in Ohio. Alvis’ reentry programs are 75% less expensive compared to prison and they are more effective: Three years after completing the Alvis residential reentry program, 79% of our clients have remained out of the criminal justice system, compared to the national average of about 50%.

Substance abuse costs the United States over $600 billion annually. Each dollar invested in addiction treatment programs, such as those provided by Alvis, yields a return of between $4 and $7. Major savings to the individual and to society also stem from fewer interpersonal conflicts; greater workplace productivity; and fewer drug-related accidents, including overdoses and deaths.

We have grown tremendously since the first Alvis program opened in Columbus in the 1960s. But one thing has remained constant throughout the years – our unwavering commitment to creating stronger communities and healthier lives.

Natalia

Natalia says incarceration gave her time to reflect on the mistakes she had made. But now, she has a job, her own place, and goals for the future. And what motivates her most is the chance to lift up others. She routinely returns to the same Alvis facility where her turnaround began. She spends time with the current residents. She shares. Encourages. And tries to be a real-life example.